Human of the Week #1

For the average Joe/Jane that goes out of their way to make our world a better place.

Nominee #1 Spanish Pilot reroutes take off to avoid flying relatives of crash victims over crash sight.

Nominee #2 OK so right now Dara Torres isn't your average Jane. But 6 months ago she was and a year from now she may be again. But I'm sure she'll keep up her amazing sportsmanship.

Nominee #3 Rosetta Ragusa is raising money to help orphans the world over.

_

Vote on your favorite human in the comments. I'll keep voting open until Tuesday of Next Week. The Winner(s) will be announced on Wednesday.

If you know of an average Jane/Joe that deserves a nomination for this award. Please send me an e-mail.

Sidebar

My sidebar is out of date..... I apologize.

I have quite a few people I need to add and quite a few of you have moved to wordpress or the like and I just haven't gotten around to changing it. My bad.

If you have a particular way you would like the text of your link to read, let me know by e-mail or in the comments. I usually just pick the name/handle of your the author and arrange them roughly alphabetically. (but superwoman will always be first)

If you don't appear in my sidebar but would like to, please let me know.

As a side note, There will be no Queen of Everything section. Sorry to disappoint anyone :)

After that I plan on trying to get Friday Field Trips up and running again if I can.

This year I've...

Today I saw a young woman and her mother on the bus on their way to the university orientation. Although I wasn't a freshman (I went back to school as a senior credit-wise) I was new to the institution and attended orientation last year anyway. I remember feeling really old. There I was 30 years old (yes I know that's still young) in a room full of 18 year-old's who were so excited to be 'in college'. I found someone with a kid and a stroller and sat with him. We were both going back to school after long hiatuses. Together we weathered a rousing round of shouting the school initials and other activities targeted to the students over a decade younger than I am. I wasn't sitting there thinking, "this is so stupid.", but try I as I might I just couldn't get excited. I sat there wondering what in the world had I gotten myself into, but I was determined to do well. I felt like, and I still do, that this is my last real chance to finish my degree and have it really help my career. That was a year ago, give or take a day or two.

Since then I've....


Completed 19 credits of coursework. Engineering Analysis (basically Linear Algebra and Differential Equations), Embedded Systems (i.e. how to design a computer system for a car, cell phone or alarm system etc), Computer Organization and Architecture, Digital Design II, Ethics and Values, and Statistics.

I've been undertaking 6 credits a semester, but I took 7 over the summer.

So far I've maintained straight A's.

This February I worked myself into the ground. I was really sick for two weeks and my work was kind enough to let me go into negative vacation and sick time. I'm still not out of the hole 6 months later.

I gave up caffeine for two months after I got sick. It seemed to help. Now I'm as addicted as ever. I think its time to give it up for a while again, if not for good.

I dropped from 40 hours a week to anywhere from 40 to 32 hours a week at work. Usually closer to 32 hours. I miss the money, but it is a lot better on my health and nerves and everything else. At 32 at least I get to keep us insured. Paying for gas about bankrupts us, and we only have one vehicle to fill. I ride the bus, if I didn't I don't think we would be able to afford the cut in paychecks.

I've found out that I am still a competitive student. I thought I might have a hard time competing with the younger, single, unemployed, childless students with more free time to study and all of that youthful energy. If anything I'm a better student now than I ever was before. I think it is because I am more motivated, I see my wife and kids and I can't help but be motivated to do well.

I needed 55 credits to graduate, depressing, considering I had around 100 transfer credits and a lot of other stuff didn't transfer. Now I'm down to 36 credits and have two full years left. I'm not quite halfway, but I'm pleased with how much I got done this year, if you can spare some prayers, I could use them on my behalf for the coming two years.

Last night I was up till 4 in the morning just wasting time (playing Klondike solitaire on my iPod of all things). I didn't want to go to bed, it felt like if I stayed awake my vacation would last longer. It seems like the two week vacation that I have had from school has gone by in a blink. I don't want it to end. But it will end, and soon. Come to think of it this entire year has gone by quite quickly, I've been so busy that it wasn't until this morning, when I saw that young lady excitedly anticipating the opening of this chapter of her life, that I really realized how much has happened in the last year, and how much time has passed.

Idiot of the Week #2 Results

The masses have voted and George Lucas is the loser with the most votes.

Where the other candidates look up to Darth Vader and the Emperor, they can't compete with Vader's and the Emperor's creator, the big bad Sith himself. George Lucas.

Idiot of the Week #2

Nominee #1 Vladimir Putin. Georgia didn't need attacked. Thanks for bringing the cold war back numb-nuts. If this is his Olympic Spirit of brotherhood, I'd hate to catch him in a bad mood.

Nominee #2 The idiot(s) in China in charge of the Olympic games. Lip Syncing, underage athletes and fake fireworks to name a few.

Nominee #3 George Lucas. Notice the more he micromanages a movie by animation the more the movie sucks? (the made for TV animation not included, movies only) The new animated movie looks to be the worst yet. I'd cry, but I burned all the emotion I could on Star Wars after Episode II.


Vote in the comments. Losers announced Monday.

Sushiboy A to Z

First with the A's

I recieved my final grades for the summer and I earned an A in Stats. I'm very happy about this A as I worked very hard for it.

Second I have been tagged by the sexy and wonderful Superwoman with the ABC's of me. So here goes:

Attached? Very. To Superwoman and extra glued by our two (soon to be three) rugrats.
Best Friend? Superwoman.
Cake or Pie? Uh, yuck. I like meat pies. I don't really go for sweet cakes and pies.
Day of Choice? Saturday. My day off. I try to have everything, homework, work, church stuff, all out of the way so I can have Saturday with my family or to myself. Occasionally yard work creeps in.
Essential Item? A large supply of cola.
Favorite color? Purple
Gummy bears or worms? Worms are a lot more fun to eat.
Hometown? Born in CO. Live in Utah.
Indulgence? Sushi, Cool Ranch Doritos, Bratwurst, Steak, Coca Cola, Salmon/Tuna
January or July? July, its hard to grill in January
Kids? Yes. Cookie Monster, Cakes, one in the oven.
Life isn't complete.... alone.
Marriage Date? Thirteenth of May.
Number of Brothers and Sisters? 2 Brothers, 1 Sister. My sister is the only one still living.
Oranges or Apples? Uh, tie.
Phobias? That Superwoman will die.
Quote? The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them. -- Albert Einstein
Reasons to Smile? My wife and kids, home in general, good grades, a good meal, a good book and a good friend.
Season of Choice? Er uh, .... hmmm I'm not sure that I have one. I think it would be early winter and late fall. I love the time from Thanksgiving to Christmas. I love curling up by the fire with a warm blanket and good book and hot chocolate listening to festive music. That time sucks in college cause I usually have about 50 projects due, but if I can take the time to savor it, I think I like that time the best.
Tag Seven People? No .... I don't care to tag anyone right now.
Unknown Fact? I'd rather do something creative than I would math or science. I think that is why I like engineering because I get to build things and be creative, and I still get to use some other skills I'm good at.
Vegetable? Winter Squashes.
Worst habits? I can be really annoying. I have a sharp tongue, I can say some really cutting things.
X-Ray or Ultrasound? Ultrasound, lotsa happy memories there (very fun to see my babies). X-rays memories are mostly painful, (but it is cool to see my bones)
Your favorite food? SUSHI
Zodiac sign? Taurus - Not that it matters anyways.

There you have it! thank you and good day!

The funeral and work.

The funeral was a bit exhausting. We drove around 24 hours in two days time, but the services were good, and worth all the driving. We dropped off the kids with my cousin and his wife. Big Grizz and Big Sis' rode in the van with Superwoman and I. I'm sure they are sick of us by now.

I missed work Monday and I'm trying to make up hours so I don't have to work very much on Saturday. Not what I had in mind to do with my vacation from school, but again, going to the funeral was worth it.

I haven't unloaded my camera, so pictures will have to wait. My Grandmother and Grandfather (on my mothers side) ran a ranch in the high country of Idaho near Salmon Idaho and the Montana border. It is beautiful up there, even though the weather can be harsh. It's been more than a decade since I have been up there and it was nice to go back.

I took my final for Stats Thursday of last week. I'm a little nervous that I didn't do as well as I would like and that I will no longer have a 4.0 Grade Point Average. Its nice having the class out of the way, but I hate waiting for the results.

Statistics Final.

It's over, I'm tired.